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For everyone who came by the Phantacea Publications table at Van Expo last weekend and expressed disappointment that we weren’t taking debit or credit cards, here’s the link you wanted: http://www.phantacea.info/phorder1.htm#contents. The automated lynx to order encrypted PDFs are built into the table proper: http://www.phantacea.info/phorder1.htm#table. As per usual the email link will require verification that you’re human, but that doesn’t take more than a few seconds.

Unfortunately there’s no way to order anything with just a single click. However, there are other lynx at the bottom of every page that have that capacity. Plus, Phantacea Publications’ distribution system should work anywhere in the world. Just ask your local bookseller to call up the book by title and/or author. Won’t be able to order autographed copies anywhere else, though. Details of postage costs will come by return email within a day or two.

So why’s the fact it’s raining in Dubrovnik, after ferocious thunder storms last night and more in forecast, make us happy Jim McPherson, the creator/writer of the Phantacea Mythos, carted his Mini-Mac with him while on a ‘not writing, traveling’ sabbatical?

Headgames back cover pieced together on a rainy day in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Because we get this for pHantaBlog. Too bad his mini-mac didn’t have the right font on it or all the links for background images. Means print version won’t be identical but it’ll be close.

Text probably won’t be changing. It’ll just fit together better:

The creator of the Phantacea Mythos presents three intertwined novellas leading up to and into “Wilderwitch’s Babies”

Set entirely on the Inner Earth of Sedon’s Head, ‘Hidden Headgames’ tells untold tales of a wide swath of characters who came to feature in “The Thrice-Cursed Godly Glories” and “Launch 1980” epic fantasies.

Who was behind Crystallion, Hell’s Horsemen and their Nuclear Dragons? How could the Dual Entities survive ‘Helios on the Moon’? What became of Cosmicar 6?

Vignettes, verisimilitudes and at least one vampire setting up and carrying on “Phantacea Phase Two”

Full Cover Mockup for “Hidden Headgames”; proper font and background images to be added prior to publication

Mock up done on Photoshop of potential front cover for “Hidden Headgames”

Black and white version of potential front cover for “Hidden Headgames”

Took awhile to get to it, took even longer to get a presentable version of same, but here goes. Comments welcome at bottom.

As for the images that went into the cover collage, once again the background is of the Borealis Brolly spotted online and shot in Finland by Tina Tormanen,

It paired up nicely with another photo of the Northern Lights, this one shot in Iceland by Tom Mackie in 2014. The former was taken from the Web whereas the latter was scanned in from the May 2015 issue of Fortean Times.

Photograph by Tom Mackie in Iceland, 2014, scanned in from the May 2015 issue of Fortean Times; Nihila artwork by Verne Andru, 2012; banner prepared by Jim McPherson, 2015

The main reference is to a sequence that first appeared at the end of 2012’s “Goddess Gambit“. It reappeared, and indeed carried on, in 2014’s “Helios on the Moon“. It’s back in “Hidden Headworld”, albeit this time (at least at first) from Fisherwoman’s perspective after Freespirit Nihila jettisoned her.

The female figure representing the fused duo was spotted online. It was taken at the 2015 Burning Man festival held in Death’s Valley toward the end of August every year. (At least I assume it’s still being held.) Not sure who took it, but assume the original was entitled “The Burning Woman”.

At the end of 2012’s “Goddess Gambit“, Freespirit Nihila took over Fisherwoman for awhile. This act of desperation came into play again during 2014’s “Helios on the Moon“. In “Hidden Headgames” we pick on their stories after they separate.

Hieronymus Bosch apparently visited Satanwyck (Sedon’s Temple) towards the end of the Headworld’s Fifty-Fifth Century. In terms of the Phantacea Mythos, this is his version of its Prime Sinistral or a surrogate sitting on the Highchair of Hell

Added a gradient to her and doubled the borealis brollies surrounding her for the text version of this collage. As for the Bosch, it’s from the Garden of Earthly Delights. It currently resides in Madrid’s Prado Museum, though it might have moved by the time you read this.

Apparently he visited Sedon’s Temple (Satanwyck, Hell on Earth) while he was on the Inner Earth in his mid-twenties.

T Rex shot in Alberta’s Drumheller Bad Lands. Might be an Albertasaurus. Representative of Saurlord Klizarod Rex of Sedon’s Head’s Lake Lands, part of his left eyebrow, area sometimes called Sedon’s Sweat Glands for fay-fairly-silly reason

Evidently a bird demon was occupying the Highchair of Hell at the time. Chronologically speaking, that probably makes her Sinistral Lust (Beguiling Belialma) or one of her lackeys.

She was certainly a playful shape-shifter in her time, some of which was highlighted during the course of ‘The Thrice-Cursed Godly Glories‘ epic trilogy. Was way beyond it, too.

As the saying often heard during the open-ended saga of “Wilderwitch’s Babies” goes, in September 1953 Lady Lust came to town (Vancouver Canada), leaving Mother Maternity behind.

As per all of the above, one therefore has to allow Bosco some degree of leeway in his depiction of her. Ordinarily Hell’s Belle was much more appealing to behold. Just ask Abe Chaos (Unholy Abaddon) and his father, the Great God Everyman (Thrygragos Lazareme), about that.

If you can find them, that is. Which, come to think of it, you probably wouldn’t want to do.

The lava lake filling the caldera of Sedon’s Peak is mostly made up of molten Brainrock. Anvil the Artificer uses it to make devic power foci like the Trigregos Talismans

Even though neither the Drumheller (Alberta) Tyrannosaurus (unless it’s an Albertasaurus) or the wide-mouth, highly venomous serpent have three eyes, they’re meant to represent, respectively, Saurlord Klizarod Rex (the devil-god worshipped by Saudi Tethys, the stomping Steg Sari from “Feeling Theocidal“) and none other than the Forgettable Fiend (Smiler-Daemonicus). Both appear in “Hidden Headgames”, the latter more so than the former.

The lava lake has to be the caldera of Sedon’s Peak, filled as it is with molten Brainrock. Anvil the Artificer (Tvasitar Smithmonger, the devic Prometheus) uses it to make devils their power foci, aka Tvasitar Talismans. Its fumes are also good for debraining demons.

Tibetan skull with three eyes probably meant to represent Yima, King Death. Used to represent King Harvest (Yama Nergal), the Mithradites’ Grim Reaper who features in all three parts of “Hidden Headgames”

(Good for devils, who take over their subtle matter bodies; bad for the demons. Mind you, being mostly all body and no soul, they aren’t very bright to start with.)

Last heard from in “Goddess Gambit” he returns in “Hidden Headgames”. So does his erstwhile girl friend, the Mirror Mentalist (Klannit Thanatos), who goes on to make such a nuisance of herself in “Decimation Damnation“.

The fancy Tibetan skull with the three eye-holes may well be a representation of Yima, an Asian God of Death. He’ll double, almost precisely, for Yama Nergal, the Mithradites’ Grim Reaper, also known as King Harvest.

In this regard, here’s a quote taken from “Acquiring Nihila”, the third part of “Hidden Headgames”:

“Unlike the unspeakable spooks, who looked uniformly two-eyed anthropomorphic, as if they were once human or humanoid bipedal, Death’s (hooded) skull had a third eye-hole. Presumably he presented as much considerately, just in case the Diver had any doubts about his race. If devils could be considered a race, that is, and not an entirely inhuman life form.”

Phantacea Publications logo utilizing a Sun-Moon wood carving spotted and shot by Jim McPherson, 2014; taken to represent the Dual Entities during happy times

The full cover version of the interior cover featuring the overall “Hidden Headgames” title, as well as the titles for its three constituent story sequences: “The Forgotten Fiend”, “Pyrame’s Progress” and “Acquiring Nihila”.

The images that went into these graphics have all been used previously on pH-Webworld. Most made up the tentative cover for “Tsishah’s Twilight“, which wasn’t so much abandoned as never got finished.

Tentative Cover for “Tsishah’s Twilight”, prepared by Jim McPherson in 2004 using images taken from the web

Jim McPherson also prepared an alternative poster more so than cover for “Hidden Headgames”. It took out the two heads representing Shahiyeda and her mother, Sorciere (Solace Sunrise become Sundown), from “The Vampire Variations” web-serial.

Variation on Interior Cover for “Hidden Headgames”, minus the overall title. It adds representations of the fauna, Pusan Wanderlust, and the Female Entity, Miracle Maenad, both of whom feature in Games

The Miracle Memory figure is from Mexico City’s Bellas Artes Opera House, the female faun was spotted and shot in Venice, 2008, whereas the face in the Northern Lights was shot in Iceland and taken from Web.

They were replaced with a shot reminiscent of Pusan Wanderlust taken in Venice back in 2008 and a relatively recent shot (2016) from outside Mexico City’s Bellas Artes Opera House suggestive of the Female Entity, Phantacea’s Miracle Memory.

The background in both cases were the astonishing Northern Lights Show taken in Iceland that showed up in Fortean Times 327 and formed the basis for a nifty entry in Serendipity and ...

It’s coupled with Verne Andru’s equally nifty Nihila, as taken from the cover of 2012’s “Goddess Gambit” whereas the bare-breasted Nihila figure was spotted and shot inside the aforementioned Bellas Artes opera house in Mexico City.

Haven’t watched anything on Fox, not even football, for decades. Still this really is Psycho. Which is also the name of a Phantacea Mythos character, albeit as a brain in a box, last seen in “Nuclear Dragons“.

Having, thanks to his sister, Aranyani Nightingale, who first appeared nearly forty years ago in Phantacea 1 (September 1977, see back cover shot of Aran and a few others as drawn by Dave Sim way back then) avoided becoming a light snack, he’ll be back in quest of the rest of his body whenever “Destination Damnation” gets published.

“Hidden Headgames” will come out before it, though, later in year.

Seems there isn’t a handy shot of Psycho Saul Ryne from the PHANTACEA comic book series readily available. Remind with a comment below and there soon will be.

Kind of nifty. Like the three eyes. Not so sure about the cat’s head, though there is a Cathead in the Phantacea Mythos, hence why it’s on pHantaBlog.

Goes by the Illuminary given name of Cathune Bubastis. She’s the Apocalyptic of Drought and, yes, she does have three eyes. She’s also the brood sister of Pyrame Silverstar and the devil child Tralalorn, who might actually be a self-determinedly never-aging demon child.

Based on an Egyptian Goddess from the second millennia BC, if not earlier, Drought has a linchpin role in “The Forgotten Fiend”. (Hit here if you’ve forgotten who he is,) Or does she? Hmm …

Fiend’s a story sequence originally written to lead into “The War of the Apocalyptics“.
It’s one of the three now interlinked ‘preludes’ or extended vignettes that conspired to form “Hidden Headgames”. In its case that’s mostly because it got tired hunkering down inside PHANTACEA computers with nowhere else to go since the early 90s.

BTW, the other two sequences are “Pyrame’s Progress” and “Acquiring Nihila”. The latter’s titular character appeared throughout “Goddess Gambit“. Plus, somewhat less pivotally, showed up ‘bigly’ in “Helios on the Moon“.

Headgames is coming in late Spring, early Summer 2017 from Phantacea Publications.

Not sure how well this will work if you’re not also on Facebook, but hit the play button and see for yourself. If it doesn’t click into psychedelic action immediately, the ‘https’ link beneath image should get you to the ‘woo’ animation.

Actually, now that I think about it, please continue to be a stranger. Oh, and kindly keep your crows to yourself.

Some twenty odd years ago, when Phantacea on the Web (pH-Webworld — http://www.phantacea.info/) began someone calling himself (or herself) Mephistopheles e-mailed to warn against publishing any more stories making fun of devils. He (or she) got the standard reply: ‘Hey, it’s only make-believe.” Whereupon he/or unleashed the crows.

Maybe she/or should have had Phantacea Publications charged under: ‘Section 296 of the Criminal Code of Canada states, “Everyone who publishes a blasphemous libel is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.”‘